Building construction



June l, 1937. F. M* vENzlE 2,082,314

BUILDING CONSTRUCTION 2 Sheets-Sheet I 'Filed April 8, 195:5l

INVENTOR.

Jun 1, 1937. F M VENZIE 2,082,314

BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Fild April 8, 1955 2 sheets-sheet 2 4 .*ff'gfg' @Z9/ A Qn/Z ATORNEY Patented `lune I', 1937 m l UNITED smras tentent OFFICE 2,082,314 BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Frederick M. Venzie, Philadelphia, Pa), assigner to National Gypsum Company, Buffalo, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application April 8, 1933, Serial No. 665,048 6 Claims. (Cl. i2-46) This invention relates to building construcl Fig. 1 is a view partially in elevation and partion and more particularly to the formation of tially in section illustrating the corner of a room the interior surfaces of `a room from such mateembodying my novel wall' structure rials as may be exemplified by what is commer- Fig. 1a is a detailed horizontal section through 5- ciall'y known as Transite. the' end of a partition wall; 5

Heretofore in the formation of the room sur- Fig. lo is a vertical section taken on the line face of walls or ceilings Where preformed units b-b of Fig'. la; have been used either, as in nonreproof con- Fig. 2 isa horizontal sectional View on an en'- struotion, the panels were nailed to the supportlarged s'cale showing the manner in which the lO ing frame work, or, in reproof construction, units are attached toa support; l0 clips were frequently used which extended over a Fig?. 3 is a front elevational View showing the portion of the room surface of the units. Either socket embodiedy in one form of my invention; of these means of fastening panels necessitated Fig. 4` is a front elevation of the hook member the use of a non-decorative covering such as embodied in my invention;

15 plaster to present` a smooth surface. Attempts Figs. 5 and 6 arevertical sections taken on the l5 which have heretofore been made to overcome lines' 5 5 and 6 6 of Figs. 3 and 4 respectively; these diculties have resulted in the formation Fig. '7 1s a rear elevation of a panel showing of numerous novel types of building panels but the manner in which the hook elements are little has been done to make use of the building Inontedtlfereon;

2;'0 materials as now existing. Figf.- 8 is a View of a modied form of socket 20 'Ihe present` invention contemplates the use member; K i of the conventional types ofV building materials Fig.V 9f is alrear elevation of a panel embodying such as Well known Transite, Marbelite, or plya modified formlof my' invention; woods, together with means for aixing them to Fig. lois an end elevation of a form of inven- '25 a supporting structure which means may be made tin shown ini Fig. 9; 25 operative without the use of special tools such Fig. 1'1 is a detailed perspective view of the: as those which are necessary even when the clip illustrated inFigs. 9' and 10; conventional' clip is used. Fig. 12 is avert'ical elevation of the invention An object of my inventionr is to provide a wall as shown in Figs. 9 to 1'1; as applied to a sup- 3`0 structure the surface units of which may be port'; y 30 readily positioned without the use of special tools Fig. 13 isa rear View of a panel embodying anand which when positioned will present a smooth other form of m'y invention; even surface on the room side to whichy may be Fig. 14 is an end elevation of the structure y applied a thin nished coating such as paint, shown` in Fig. 13;

35 wall paper, or the like. Fig. 151s a detailed perspective view of a clip` 35 Another object of my invention is to provide usedI in the embodiment of my invention illusa wall structure in which the surface units may 4 trated nFigs. 13 and 14,'` g be readily applied and positioned by unskilled Fig. 16 is a side elevation 0f a form OCE-my inlabor and which when applied will present a survention shown in Figs. 13 to 15 as attached t'o a 40 face which eliminates the need for an expensive support;K Y' u 40 plastering operation. I Fig. 17 is a rear elevation of yet another em- Yet another object of my invention is to probodimentof my invention; g vide a novel clip structure composed of two co- Fig. 18: is an end elevation of the embodiment operative elements one ofwhich may be attached 0f H'Y'SI'IOII ShU-Wil. in Fig- 1'17, 15 to a surfacing unit and the other to a supporting Fig. 19" is a` ldetailed perspective View of the 45 member, which when assembled Will hold the clip shownin Fig. 18,' surfacing unit in position against the support. Fig. 20 is a side elevation of the invention Another object of my invention is to provide ShWn in' Figs'. 1'7--19l as connected to a Support; a novel means for maintaining adjacent surfacand:

0 ing units in abutting relationship, after erootion, Fis'. 21\v isa detail` sidel elevation 0f the support 50 i`nspite of expansion and contraction due to which may be used in connection with the shrinkage, heat etc. of the individual units. embodiments of' my irlVetiOIl ShOWn in Figs- Oth'er'objects and advantages of myinvention 91 to 2.0 inclusive; I will be apparent from the following specification, Referring" now particularly to Fig. 2, which naims, and from the drawings, inwhi'oh: while described as o; horizontal section of o 55 appears instead vertical wall might be equally illustrative of a Vertical section through a ceiling, a supporting member, herein illustrated as a channel, 25 carries two U-shaped members 26 which are fastened thereto as by a bolt 21 passing through the web 25a of the channel and through the webs 26a. of the two U-shaped members, and by a nut 2B. In one flange 2Gb of each of the U-shaped members 2GB, which flange is adapted to face the room side of the wall, may be stamped or otherwise formed a plurality of spaced slots E9 as illustrated more clearly in Figs. 3 and 5. The slots may be substantially U-shaped and metal 29a previously occupying the space where the slot now is may be pressed inwardly, or away from the room side of the ange.

A preformed unit of building material herein illustrated as a panel 3i) carries at its corners, and, preferably, also intermediate the corners, hook elements 3l which may be attached thereto as by screws or nails passing through openings 32 therein. The hook elements 3l may comprise a metallic strip from which have been punched aligned hooks 33 each formed with a ilaring end 34 and a portion 33a parallel to the remainder of the metal in thestrip and spaced from the plane of such metal a distance substantially equal to the thickness of the flange 2Gb on the U-shap'ed members 2S.

While it is desirable that the hook members be located at the corners of the panel, this is not essential and it will be found in practical operation that they will be attached to the panels at such positions as will enable them to meet the slots 29 in the member 2G when the latter are positioned upon the supporting members as erected. However, in spite of all precautions, an exact t cannot always be obtained with unskilled labor and the slot 29v may preferably be made wider than the hook 33 as will be apparent from a consideration of Figs. 2 and 4 and the additional width allows not only for discrepancies in measurement and for shrinkage of the panel but also allows for suicient horizontal movement of the panels to permit the interlocking of a tongue 36a on one panel with a groove 3|!b on an adjacent panel when tongued and grooved panels are used. It will be noted that in a wall made as above described a slight space 31 will be left at the upper edge of the panels adjacent the ceiling due to the need for vertical movement of the panel in positioning the hooks 33 in the slots 29, and this space may readily be covered by a molding 3S.

In place of the slot 29 above described the slot 35 illustrated in Fig. 8 may be used, this slot extending to the forward or open end of the ange 2Gb of the member 25 to permit insertion of the hooks 33 therein by a movement transverse to thelongitudinal axis of the flange rather than parallel therewith. When this type of slot is used the space 31 (Fig. 1) at the top of the wall is eliminated but a space at the end thereof due to the necessity for moving the panel sideways vin order to engage the hooks in the slots. l

In order to eliminate the opening which results from inserting the panels in the above described fashion or which results from shrinkage of the panels, and in order to provide means for permanently maintaining the edges of adjacent panels in abutting relationship, I provide at either or both ends of the wall the structure illustrated in Figs. 1a and lb. In these figures, 30 designates the panels of a partition, it being understood that supporting structure such as indicated in Fig. 2 is interposed between the panels. The end of each of the panels 3B abuts a spring 38 attached as by a rivet 39 to one ilange of an angle iron 4B, the flange being parallel to the end of the panel. The two angle irons 40 with their attached springs are held in position by a yoke shaped member 4l having a central channel Illa, adapted to engage a fixed support such as a channel iron 42, and two oppositely facing (with respect to the first channel lila) channels in each of which one of the angle irons 40 is held and the base of which abuts a wall 43 at a right angle to the first wall, the latter channels being provided with external faces lib of sufficient depth to cover the angle irons 49 holding the springs and toact as a molding in the corners of the rooms. Obviously the sizes of the angle irons and yoke must be such as to hide the spring when fully extended and they and the spring must be of sufficient size to allow proper positioning of the panel when the spring is flattened.

The structures so far described necessitate a fixing of the hook members on the panel by a nailing or other operation at the time of erection unless the manufacturer of the units has been previously advised of the exact spacing of the supports. In order to overcome this difculty I have provided in the modifications of my invention shown in Figs, 9 to 21 inclusive means whereby the hook element is made movable in one direction with respect to the panel and thus may be positioned on the job without the delay which is incident to nailing the hooks on the panels or the difficulties of having the hooks properly positioned at a fabricating plant. As illustrated in Figs. 9, 13, and 17, such means may take the shape of grooves formed on the inner side of the panel 30. Into these, depending upon the amount of money which is desired toI be spent, various types of hook arrangement may be inserted.

Each of the modifications about to be described may be connected to the support illustrated in Fig. 2l. This may be substantially similar to that shown in Figs. 4 and 6 except that the hooks indicated at 45 are formed in the flange 46 of a U-shaped member 41 which is attachable to a support in the same manner as the members 28, Fig. 2, are attached to the panel 25. From the consideration of this gure it will be obvious how the present supporting means may be erected.

Referring now particularly to Figs. 9 to 12 inclusive, in the panel 30 is cut a groove 48 having inwardly sloping sides 49 into which may be tted a metal hook 50 conforming in shape to the bottom and one side of the slot and having a face 58a parallel to the portion of the member conforming to the bottom of the slot. The slot 48 may extend the full length of the panel and the clips l) may be inserted therein and moved along the slot at the time the panel is being erected to the position at which they will engage the hooks 45 on the member 41.

In the embodiment of my invention shown in Figs. 13 to 16, the slot 48 in the panel 3|] is identical with that shown in Figs. 9 and 10 except that it may be desirable in some instances that the slot have a slightly greater lateral dimension, such as is here illustrated for the purpose of more clearly showing the details of the insert. Within the slot 2li and preferably extending the full length thereof is inserted a metallic member 5I conforming to the shape of engage the hook on the support 41.

In the modication of my invention shown and are directed inwardly toward meeting point. Into the slots illustrated at 5I Without departing from the spirit and scope thereof as set forth in the following claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a building construction, studs, a plurality of abutting panels, means for connecting said they may move and hooks slidable within said slots and engaging said support.

4. In a building construction, studs, a plurality of abutting panels, means for movably FREDERICK M. VEN ZIE. 

